LIAiaK 


The 

Christian’s  Unbelief 

university  of  auNQts 

AUG  1 0 1915 

PRESIDENT'S  OFFICE 


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A BACCALAUREATE  SERMON^ 


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THE 

CHRISTIAN’S  UNBELIEF 


By 

REV.  WM.  C.  ROBERTS,  D.  D.f  LL.  D. 

President  Lake  Forest  University 
LAKE  FOREST,  ILL. 


DELIVERED  AT 

LAKE  FOREST,  JUNE  15th,  1890 

(by  request) 


1890 

CHICAGO 


F oster 

Roe  . Art  Printers 
& Crone 


THE  CHRISTIAN'S  UNBELIEF 

A BACCALAUREATE  SERMON 


John  20:  27. — “ Be  not  faithless , but  believing 

M|jj^URS  is  a skeptical  age.  Its  very  atmosphere  is  sat- 
uvlfc  urated  with  doubt.  From  large  portions  of  its 
^ ^ literature  rise  pestilential  exhalations.  Not  a few 
of  our  Colleges  and  Universities  are  honeycombed  with 
rationalism.  The  Professors  who  cannot  utter  the  Shibbo- 
leth of  liberalism  are  often  pronounced  antiquated,  if  not 
unlearned.  The  dullest  students  think  that  they  are  com- 
petent to  controvert  venerable  beliefs,  and  mere  tyros  in 
knowledge  challenge  doctrines  that  have  been  held  by  the 
best  scholars  of  past  ages. 

This  skepticism  assumes  a multitude  of  forms.  In 
some  places,  it  takes  the  anti-theistic  type,  denying  the  ex- 
istence of  God,  or  shutting  him  out  of  the  world;  in  others, 
it  assumes  the  anti-biblical,  accepting  the  existence  of  the 
Supreme  Being,  but  denying  the  probability Jof  a verbal 
revelation;  in  still  others,  it  takes  the  anti-propitiational, 
admitting  the  supernatural,  but  denying  the  necessity  of  an 
atonement  for  sin.  In  order  to  commend  these  views  to  the 
popular  mind  they  are  often  associated  with  the  most 
plausible  forms  of  contemporary  thought.  Now  they  are 
linked  with  the  attacks  made  on  the  credibility  of  the  Pen- 
tateuch, and  anon  mixed  with  the  real  or  supposed  difficul- 
ties of  reconciling  the  results  of  historic  researches  with  the 
biblical  account  of  creation.  At  times  they  are  woven 


4 


into  the  web  of  scientific  discoveries  in  order  to  prove  that 
certain  statements  of  the  inspired  writers  contradict  the 
teachings  of  nature.  In  many  quarters,  efforts  are  being 
made  to  blot  out  all  that  is  supernatural. 

It  is  intimated  in  the  context  that  species  of  unbelief 
had  crept  into  the  sacred  circle  of  Christ’s  early  disciples. 
The  language  of  Thomas  shows  that  he  had  fallen  into  the 
dark  pit  of  doubt,  if  not  of  downright  skepticism.  In  conse- 
quence of  it  he  refused  to  accept  the  fact  of  his  Master’s 
resurrection,  though  attested  by  more  than  a dozen  of  his 
own  trustworthy  friends.  He  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  happy  past  he  had  spent  in  the  Master’s  company  had 
been  but  a troubled  dream;  that  the  present  was  anguish 
of  soul;  and  the  future  a blank  despair.  He  began  to  doubt 
that  Christ  was  the  promised  Messiah,  the  Son  of  the  living 
God,  the  Prince  of  Life,  because  he  had  suffered  death  at 
the  hands  of  wicked  men.  He  gave  vent  to  this  unbelief  in 
the  extraordinary  words:  “ Except  I shall  see  in  his  hands 
the  print  of  the  nails,  and  put  my  fingers  into  the  print  of 
the  nails,  and  thrust  my  hand  into  his  side,  I will  not  believe.” 
In  all  this  he  was  a fair  representative  of  a large  class  of 
Christians  who  lose  their  hold  of  some  of  the  comforting 
truths  of  Scripture  ; who  fall  into  sloughs  of  despond,  and 
even  flounder  in  the  deep  morasses  of  doubt. 

The  theme  here  suggested  is  The  Christian’s  Unbelief. 
Notice,  first,  the  negative  character  of  this  unbelief. 
There  is  a wide  difference  between  being  unable  to  accept 
without  more  or  better  evidence,  and  being  convinced  that 
the  alleged  fact  is  untrue.  The  former  represents  the  state 
of  Thomas’s  mind.  He  did  not  allege  that  the  cold  clay  of 
his  Master’s  body  could  not  have  been  animated  with  new 
life.  He  simply  declared  that  he  must  have  more,  or  differ- 
ent, evidence  before  he  could  receive  such  a fact.  He  had 
no  sympathy  with  the  views  of  the  resurrection  held  by  the 
surrounding  heathen,  who  believed  that  the  doctrine  was 


5 


absurd,  looking  no  higher  than  to  the  low  region  of  second 
causes.  He  may  have  shared  some  of  the  pride  of  intellect 
found  among  the  skeptics  of  our  own  day  who  seek  to  fathom 
every  truth  with  the  plumb-line  not  only  of  reason,  but 
what  is  immeasurably  more  preposterous,  of  their  own  ex- 
perience. He  did  not  say,  however,  that  the  resurrection 
of  Christ  was  contrary  to  nature  or  experience.  He  could 
not  have  truthfully  said  that  because  he  himself  had  witnessed 
the  raising  of  the  widow’s  son,  the  calling  to  life  of  the 
ruler’s  child,  and  the  resurrection  of  Lazarus  from  the 
grave.  The  most  he  could  have  intended  by  his  refusal  to 
accept  the  testimony  of  his  fellow  disciples  was  that  the 
event  was  so  important  and  far  reaching  that  he  could  not 
believe  it  without  personal  knowledge.  He  shrank  from 
the  thought  of  meeting  a new  disappointment,  and  dreaded 
a repetition  of  the  horror  of  great  darkness  he  had  ex- 
perienced for  many  days.  There  are  men  among  us  like 
the  doubting  apostle  unwilling  to  permit  themselves  to 
accept  many  of  the  doctrines  of  Scripture  because  they 
appear  too  good  to  be  true.  They  do  not  deny,  but  simply 
fail  to  accept,  them  in  all  their  length  and  breadth,  their 
height  and  depth.  Thus  they  deprive  themselves  of  a large 
amount  of  joy  and  comfort. 

The  Christian’s  unbelief  is  largely  intellectual  as  well 
as  negative,  God’s  children  are  differently  constituted. 
Not  all  of  them  receive  the  truth  in  the  same  manner. 
In  many  the  affections  are  stronger  than  the  understanding; 
they  feel  more  than  they  think.  Nathaniel  was  a repre- 
sentative of  this  class.  He  was  gentle  and  guileless,  doubt- 
ing nothing  told  him  by  those  whom  he  believed  to  be  trust- 
worthy. Thomas  belonged  to  the  opposite  class.  He  had 
received  by  inheritance  a frigid  temperament  which  made 
him  slow  to  believe  pleasant,  but  swift  to  accept  unpleasant 
tidings.  He  carefully  thought  out  every  question  submit- 
ted for  his  consideration.  His  reflective  powers  were 


6 


stronger  than  his  susceptible.  Though  not  wanting  in 
strong  attachments  and  noble  impulses,  his  affinity  for  the 
truth  was  largely  through  the  intellect.  He  was  not  satis- 
fied so  long  as  there  was  the  slightest  possibility  of  error  or 
delusion.  His  habit  was  to  prove  all  things,  and  hold  fast 
that  which  was  good.  He  could  not  understand  how  the 
Master,  if  he  was  unable  to  protect  himself  against  death 
and  the  grave,  could  rise  victorious  over  both.  The  experi- 
ences through  which  he  had  recently  passed  were  mainly 
intellectual,  and  therefore  one-sided  and  defective.  Reason 
of  course  must  be  honored  and  men  respected  for  putting 
facts  to  the  test  of  logic,  but  at  the  same  time  it  must  not 
be  overlooked  that  we  should  live  but  meagerly  if  we 
accepted  nothing  save  that  which  the  cold  intellect  can 
grasp.  For  mystery  mingles  with  our  most  familiar  acts, 
and  our  confidence  in  a thousand  things  must  reach  beyond 
the  boundary  of  reason.  We  have  faculties  for  apprehend- 
ing knowledge  other  than  those  which  deal  with  physical 
and  mathematical  verities.  The  intercourse  of  hearth  and 
home,  the  relation  of  parents  and  children,  and  the  attach- 
ment of  brothers  and  sisters  are  not  established  by  syl- 
logisms. It  would  be  absurd  in  a child  to  undertake  to  prove 
by  mathematical  demonstration  his  love  for  a parent.  The 
human  heart  cannot  be  probed  by  sharp,  scientific  analysis. 
Man’s  loves  and  sympathies  are  not  capable  of  being  ex- 
pressed in  propositions.  Nevertheless,  the  heart  knows 
that  it  loves  a parent,  that  it  can  trust  the  sanctities  of  home, 
and  rest  safely  in  a mother’s  bosom.  These  conclusions  of 
faith  and  of  the  affections  are  just  as  legitimate  and  satisfac- 
tory as  those  of  the  intellect.  From  the  neglect  of  this 
truth  or  inability  to  accept  it,  Thomas  abode  a whole  week  in 
the  glacial  regions  of  doubt.  Not  a glow  from  the  affections 
melted  the  frost  or  chased  away  the  shadows  of  the  grave. 
He  received  no  prophecy  from  the  utterances  of  a confid- 
ing heart.  He  refused  to  believe  that  his  Master 


7 


had  returned  to  life  until  he  was  allowed  to  see  His 
wounds  and  thrust  his  hand  into  His  side.  Thus  he  remained 
dumb  when  the  rest  of  the  disciples  confessed  the  authen- 
ticity of  that  light  of  faith  which  is  intended  to  shine  when 
the  light  of  reason  falls  short,  or  when  a dark  firmament 
spreads  its  mystery  overhead. 

The  Christian’s  unbelief  is  unreasonable  also.  That  of 
Thomas  in  the  text  is  particularly  so.  He  makes  a ground- 
less distinction  between  the  sources  of  our  knowledge  and 
refuses  assent  to  the.  testimony  of  others.  Hear  his  own 
words:  “Except  I shall  see  in  his  hands  the  print  of  the 
nails,  and  put  my  fingers  into  the  print  of  the  nails,  and 
thrust  my  hand  into  his  side,  I will  not  believe.”  From 
this  one  would  infer  that  the  testimony  of  our  sight  and 
touch  was  more  trustworthy  than  that  of  our  other  senses; 
that  the  nearer  we  come  to  an  object  the  better  we  are  able 
to  comprehend  it;  and  that  the  testimony  of  two  of  our  own 
senses  outweighs  all  the  evidence  which  others  can  present. 
This  is  not  true.  Paul  declares  that  we  see  only  through  a 
glass  darkly.  Science  tells  us  that  we  see  but  the  images 
of  things,  not  the  true  realities.  The  sensuous  vision  is  but 
a mirror  upon  which  the  realities  cast  their  shadows. 
Hence  if  the  doubting  disciple  had  been  permitted  to  see 
the  print  of  the  nails  and  to  thrust  his  hand  into  his  Saviour’s 
side,  it  would  have  been  only  with  double  vails  between 
him  and  them — they  would  have  been  hidden  from  him  in 
a drapery  of  flesh,  and  he  would  have  looked  through 
glazed  windows  of  his  own  organism. 

Such  proximity  to  his  Master’s  person  as  would  have 
enabled  Thomas  to  thrust  his  hand  into  his  side,  would  not 
have  added  one  iota  to  the  certainty  of  the  fact  he  was 
seeking  to  verify.  The  same  thing  is  true  still.  The  nearer 
we  come  to  our  friends,  the  more  difficult  become  the  prob- 
lems that  present  themselves  for  our  consideration.  Astron- 
omy is  supposed  to  be  the  most  complete  of  the  sciences.  It 


8 


has  fewer  great  problems  left  unanswered  than  geology,  or 
even  psychology.  Why  ? Because  we  are  not  near  enough 
to  its  vast  fields  and  glowing  worlds  to  come  in  contact  with 
a tithe  of  their  rr^ysteries.  Instead  of  becoming  clearer 
and  more  familiar  as  we  approach  them,  objects  of  con- 
templation become  more  and  more  obscure.  The  putting 
of  his  fingers  into  the  print  of  the  nails  would  not  have 
solved  the  problem  which  the  resurrection  of  Christ  pre- 
sented to  the  doubting  disciple.  It  would  have  increased 
rather  than  diminished  his  perplexities.  The  rationalistic 
creed  which  leads  men  to  reject  all  they  cannot  explain  only 
plunges  them  the  deeper  into  the  quagmire.  Hence  the  wis- 
dom of  keeping  off  the  confines  of  that  region  which  lies  be- 
yond the  field  of  revelation  when  we  know  that  at 
every  step  we  take  we  are  constrained  to  feel  that  our  eyes 
are  dim  and  fog-bound,  that  we  have  no  firm  foothold,  that 
the  ground  is  uncertain  beneath  us  and  that  we  cannot  in 
that  direction  find  any  comfort  or  security. 

Rejecting  the  testimony  of  his  fellow  disciples,  and  in- 
sisting upon  that  of  his  own  senses,  plunged  Thomas  the 
deeper  into  unbelief.  All  his  colleagues  had  the  testimony 
not  only  of  their  five  senses,  but  also  that  of  their  con- 
sciousness. A few  of  them  had  heard  his  masterly  exposi- 
tion of  Moses  and  the  prophets  until  their  hearts  had 
burned  within  them;  others  had  melted  under  his  gentle 
rebuke,  and  all  except  Thomas  had  been  cheered  by  his 
presence  and  benediction.  He  set  all  these  aside,  and  ob- 
stinately declared  that  he  would  accept  no  one’s  testimony 
in  regard  to  the  fact  he  was  asked  to  believe,  rejecting 
the  truth  that  faith  in  the  testimony  of  others  is  an  instinct  of 
human  nature,  and  that  to  deny  the  testimony  of  others  is 
an  abnormal  state  of  the  mind.  Faith  is  not  only  an  instinct  of 
our  nature;  but,  according  to  well-known  ethical  principles, 
the  primal  bond  of  society.  Men  cannot  live  without  it; 
they  cannot  in  its  absence  plan  earthly  journeys  any  more 


than  heavenly  ones;  to  it  society  is  indebted  for  its  very  ex- 
istence, and  without  it  friendship  among  men  would  be  dn 
impossibility.  Nevertheless,  there  are  thousands  in  our  day 
who  set  it  aside  to  make  room  for  unbelief. 

Notice,  secondly,  some  of  the  causes  of  unbelief  in  the 
Christian.  These  are  varied  and  oftentimes  difficult  to  re- 
move. They  rise  from  bodily  ailments,  mental  peculiari- 
ties and  social  surroundings.  The  skepticism  of  Thomas 
rose,  in  the  first  place,  from  a peculiarity  of  temperament. 
By  temperament  we  understand  the  general  tendency  of  the 
man  resulting  from  his  bodily  constitution.  Scripture  and 
philosophy  tell  us  that  the  infant  receives  with  its  very  being 
certain  physical  characteristics.  Men  are  classified  by  the 
Greeks  according  to  these  great  principles  of  their  nature. 
Without  claiming  scientific  authority  the  inspired  writers 
have  dwelt  with  accuracy  on  all  these  matters.  The  traits 
that  were  conspicuous  in  the  life  and  conduct  of  Christ’s  dis- 
ciples are  vividly  portrayed  by  them.  From  the  brief  de- 
scription given  of  the  character  of  Thomas  one  concludes 
that  he  was  a man  of  a bilious  temperament,  firm,  persever- 
ing and  ambitious;  but  at  this  time,  his  body  was  in  a 
disordered  state  hence  he  had  became  melancholic, 
exclusive  and  despondent.  He  looked  on  the  dark 
side  of  things  and  dwelt  most  of  the  time  in  the  shade.  His 
mind  was  not  clear,  sunny  and  hopeful.  This  became 
apparent  in  connection  with  his  Master’s  determination 
to  revisit  Judea  after  the  death  of  Lazarus.  He  regarded 
that  journey  as  perilous  in  the  extreme,  and  felt  depressed 
when  he  learned  that  the  remonstrance  of  the  disciples  had 
proved  unavailing  to  prevent  Him  from  undertaking  it.  He 
was  sure  that  it  would  cost  Him  His  life,  but  he  made  up 
his  mind  that  their  lives  would  be  valueless  after  He  had 
passed  away,  hence  he  exclaimed,  “ Let  us,  also,  go  that  we 
may  die  with  Him.”  Some  have  called  this  true  heroism.  It 
forms  the  theme  of  that  noble  German  hymn,  “ Let  us  go 


\V  that  we  may  suffer  with  Christ,  that  we  may  die  with  Christ, 
that  we  may  reign  with  Christ,”  but  this  is  not  a correct 
interpretation  of  the  apostle’s  temper.  He  undoubtedly 
manifested  a species  of  heroism,  but  it  was  the  heroism  of 
despair.  Thousands  of  Christians  since  his  day  have  done 
the  same  thing.  You  are  doubtless  familiar  with  the  case 
of  Cowper.  At  times  he  composed  hymns  of  triumphant 
hope,  but  his  ordinary  temper  was  that  of  doubt  and  de- 
spair bordering  upon  madness.  He  frequently  felt  that  he 
was  not  only  drifting  on  a tempestuous  sea  without  chart  or 
rudder,  but  lost  under  a starless  sky,  rocking  over  a fiery 
abyss. 

The  unbelief  of  Thomas  rose  from  his  mental  states 
as  well  as  from  his  temperamental  peculiarities.  Whilst  the 
life  of  Christ  in  the  souls  of  believers  is  the  same  in  its 
nature,  it  differs  widely  in  its  manifestations.  This  is  seen 
in  the  lives  of  the  apostles.  It  is  common  to  associate 
with  John  deep  devotion  which  led  him  to  lean  on  the  Mas- 
ter’s bosom.  He  soared  on  wings  of  holy  contemplation 
and  ascended  at  times  so  high  that  he  seemed  to  join  the 
multitude  which  no  man  can  number.  In  all  his  life’s  rela- 
tions, James  was  practical.  With  him  the  question  of  obli- 
gation and  duty  was  always  uppermost.  He  was  not  want- 
ing in  true  devotion,  but  the  air  of  practical  piety  rested  on 
all  his  thoughts  and  actions.  Peter  was  full  of  zeal  which 
bordered  at  times  on  rashness.  Such  was  his  confidence 
in  Christ’s  power  that  he  jumped  out  of  the  ship  and  awoke 
to  a sense  of  his  hastiness  as  he  was  sinking  into  the  deep. 
Paul,  more  than  any  of  the  other  apostles,  roamed  through 
the  dry  fields  of  principles  and  doctrine.  He  was  a logician, 
but  a logician  free  from  the  unbelief  of  one  who  possessed 
a frigid  temperament.  Thomas  was  of  an  inquiring  turn  of 
mind,  always  hungering  and  thirsting  for  evidence.  The 
same  varieties  of  character  are  seen  in  the  Church  of  our 
own  day.  There  are  many  like  John,  meditative  and  devo- 


tional;  others,  like  James  are  eminently  practical,  always  to  be 
depended  upon  for  the  performance  of  every  Christian  duty; 
still  others,  like  Peter  are  impulsive  and  ready  to  believe 
almost  anything;  some,  like  Paul,  find  their  richest  spiritual 
food  in  what  many  call  dry  bones;  and  not  a few  like 
Thomas  feel  it  to  be  impossible  to  bring  up  their  faith  to  the 
approved  standard  of  the  Gospel.  All  these  phases  of  char- 
acter are  consistent  with  the  spiritual  life  implanted  in  the  soul. 
None  of  them  could  be  spared,  for  they  are  like  the  differ- 
ent strings  of  the  harp  essential  to  the  grand  diapason  or 
general  symphony  of  life. 

The  unbelief  of  Thomas  is  to  be  traced,  thirdly,  to  re- 
action consequent  upon  extraordinary  bodily  and  mental 
tension.  It  is  well  known  that  bodily  exhaustion  affects  the 
free  operations  of  the  mind,  and  that  mental  depression  tells 
upon  the  condition  of  the  body.  Excessive  tension  of  our 
bodily  frame  induces  excessive  relaxation,  and  that,  in  its 
turn,  tells  upon  the  tone  of  the  mind.  This  is  a law  of  our 
nature.  We  see  it  in  its  full  play  in  the  case  of  Thomas. 
What  scenes  he  passed  through  whilst  his  Master’s  body 
lay  in  the  grave.  What  physical  exertion  and  mental  strain 
were  involved  in  going  and  coming  through  the  streets  of 
Jerusalem  ; in  attending  this  and  that  trial  of  the  High 
Priest  and  Pilate  ; in  ascending  the  upper  room  and  de- 
scending into  the  garden  ; in  following  the  Saviour  to  the 
summit  of  Calvary  and  in  watching  his  body  as  it  was  car- 
ried to  the  tomb  ; in  going  for  days  without  food  and 
sleep  ; in  anxiety  about  the  Master  and  fear  of  the 
Roman  authorities  ; in  mental  distress  concerning  the 
mysteries  of  Gethsemane  and  the  cross  ; in  the  baffling  of 
reason  and  the  blighting  of  hope  ; in  the  scattering  of  the 
disciples  and  the  apparent  extinction  of  the  kingdom  that 
was  expected  to  be  established  soon  upon  the  earth. 

There  are  seasons  still  when  Christ’s  followers  are 
weary  in  body  and  in  mind.  They  fail  to  see  things  as  they 


12 


are.  The  rapid  changes  and  abrupt  transitions  which  char- 
acterized the  days  of  doubt  in  the  case  of  Thomas  may  not 
occur  again,  but  things  of  the  same  sort  are  sure  to  try  the 
faith  of  other  believers.  The  eighteen  hundred  years  that 
have  elapsed  since  the  crucifixion  have  not  solved  all  the 
problems  connected  with  the  plan  of  redemption.  It  remains 
still  a great  mystery  how  Christ  could  have  soothed  an- 
guished hearts,  and  yet  himself  breathed  the  bitterest  prayer 
that  ever  quivered  on  mortal  lips — how  he  could  have  con- 
quered death  and  yet  fallen  victim  to  it  on  the  cross 
— how  he  could  have  pleased  the  Father,  and  yet  the 
Father  be  pleased  to  put  him  to  grief — these  are  mys- 
teries before  which  faith  may  wonder  and  adore,  but 
which  the  highest  reason  is  as  incapable  of  explaining  as 
Thomas  was  to  account  for  the  fact  of  his  Master’s 
resurrection. 

Still  another  cause  of  the  apostle’s  unbelief  was  the 
lack  of  faith  in  Christ’s  prediction  of  his  resurrection.  His 
associates  as  well  as  himself  had  either  overlooked  it,  or 
they  had  failed  to  give  it  the  weight  it  deserved..  Their 
enemies,  on  the  other  hand,  had  kept  it  in  mind  and  taken 
every  precaution  to  keep  it  from  being  fulfilled.  Whenever 
belief  in  God’s  word  has  been  feeble  the  Christian  virtues 
have  been  weak  and  vascillating.  “ I have  been  forced  to 
take  notice,”  says  Mr.  Baxter,  “ that  our  belief  in  the  truth 
of  God’s  word,  and  of  the  life  to  come,  is  the  spring  of  all 
growth  in  grace,  and  with  which  it  rises  or  falls,  flourishes 
or  decays,  and  there  is  more  of  this  secret  unbelief  at  the 
bottom  than  most  of  us  are  aware  of  ; and  that  our  love  of 
the  world,  our  boldness  in  sin,  and  our  neglect  of  duty,  are 
from  hence.  I have  often  observed  in  myself,”  he  adds, 
“that  whenever  Satan  weakened  my  belief  of  the  Scrip- 
tures and  of  the  life  to  come,  my  zeal  in  every  religious 
duty  abated  with  it,  and  I grew  more  indifferent  than  be- 
fore. But  when  faith  revived,  then  none  of  the  concerns 


i3 


of  religion  appeared  small,  then  men  seemed  nothing,  the 
world  a shadow  and  God  everything.” 

The  only  other  cause  of  Thomas’s  unbelief  which  I shall 
mention  is  his  neglect  of  the  ordinances.  He  was  not  at  the 
social  meeting  in  which  the  risen  Lord  greeted  his  assem- 
bled disciples.  No  reason  is  assigned  for  this  absence.  If 
he  had  had  the  slightest  excuse  for  not  being  present  to  greet 
the  Saviour  on  his  first  appearance  after  his  resurrection  he 
would  have  been  only  too  glad  to  offer  it.  The  probability 
is  that  he  separated  himself  from  the  rest  of  the  apostles  to 
brood  oyer  his  disappointment.  If  he  had  been  at  his  post 
of  duty,  he  would  have  been  spared  the  pangs  and  painful 
doubts  of  eight  weary  days.  The  same  cause  produces  its 
sad  results  often  in  our  own  day.  Those  who  are  neglect- 
ful of  the  ordinances  of  God’s  house  are  frequently  absent 
when  the  panacea  for  their  spiritual  ills  is  furnished.  Scores 
of  professed  Christians  carry  heavy  hearts  and  oppressive 
fears,  because  they  are  not  present  when  the  message  is 
delivered  which  would  lift  up  the  clouds  that  hang  over 
them. 

Notice,  lastly,  the  way  Christ  treats  the  unbelief  of  His 
people.  An  example  of  this  is  furnished  us  in  the  case  of 
Thomas.  It  was  condescending  and  kind,  quickening  to  faith, 
and  honoring  to  God.  First,  he  put  himself  in  the  apostle’s 
place  and  gave  full  weight  to  the  circumstances  of  his  con- 
dition. Amid  his  mental  gloom  and  strange  conduct,  he 
discovered  a few  feeble  glimmerings  of  faith.  Back  of  the 
words,  “Except  I shall  see  in  his  hands  the  print  of  the 
nails  and  put  my  fingers  into  the  print  of  the  nails,”  he  de- 
tected cross  currents  of  emotion  proceeding  from  a little 
remaining  confidence.  Thomas  was  sincere  in  the  convic- 
tion that  seeing  the  print  of  the  nails  and  thrusting  his  hand 
into  his  Master’s  side  would  remove  his  unbelief.  He  was 
all  wrong,  however,  but  he  was  not  driven  back  on  account  of 
it  into  the  regions  of  doubt  until  he  corrected  his  views,  nor 


*4 


was  he  sent  to  study  more  carefully  the  scriptures,  but  the 
Master  met  him  where  he  was.  Since  he  believed  that 
seeing  and  touching  Christ’s  body  would  remove  his  unbe- 
lief, he  was  invited  to  “stretch  forth  his  hand  and  thrust  it 
into  his  Saviour’s  side.”  It  is  hardly  credible  that  he  act- 
ually put  his  fingers  into  the  print  of  the  nails.  For  the 
Saviour’s  loving  words  must  have  removed  the  scales  from 
his  eyes  and  broken  the  shackles  from  his  feet.  He  was 
enabled  thereby  to  leap  at  a single  bound  from  the  depths  of 
despair  to  the  sublime  heights  of  assurance.  His  declara- 
tion, “my  Lord  and  my  God,”  was  the  clearest  and  strong- 
est avowal  of  Christ’s  divinity  that  had  as  yet  fallen  from 
any  of  the  apostles’  lips. 

Multitudes  of  Christians,  in  our  own  day,  seek  like 
Thomas  an  opportunity  to  thrust  their  hand  into  their 
Master’s  side.  They  feel  it  to  be  necessary  for  them  to 
walk  the  earth  by  sight.  Their  faith  seems  to  be  obscured 
by  a nebulous  environment  of  unbelief.  This  is  often  perhaps 
the  result  of  confounding  its  ideal  perfection  with  its  real 
condition.  “Faith  at  best,”  says  Dr.  McLaren,  “is  no  full 
orbed  completeness,  but  a growing  segment  of  reflected 
light,  with  many  a rough  place  in  its  jagged  outlines  pro- 
phetic of  increase;  with  many  a deep  pit  of  blackness  on 
its  silver  surface;  with  many  a storm  cloud  sweeping  across 
its  face,  conscious  of  collapse  and  subject  to  change.  And 
yet,  it  is  the  light  which  he  has  set  to  rule  the  night  of  life, 
and  we  may  rejoice  in  its  crescent  beams.”  There  is  no 
faith  so  feeble  as  to  receive  no  kind  of  response  from 
him  who  breaks  not  the  bruised  reed,  nor  quenches  the 
smoking  flax. 

Those  who  would  restore  the  erring  ones  in  our  own 
day  should  imitate  this  example  of  our  Lord.  They  should 
come  down  to  their  level  and  give  due  weight  to  their  sur- 
roundings. They  must  not  try  them  by  an  abstract  or  ideal 
standard.  For  “there  is  many  a poor  soul,”  as  another  af- 


i5 


firms,  “ who  clasps  the  base  of  the  crucifix  and  clings  to  the 
cross;  many  a devout  heart  kneeling  before  the  altar,  who 
sees  through  the  incense-smoke  the  face  of  the  risen 
Saviour.  The  faith  that  is  tied  to  form,  though  it  be  no 
faith  for  a man,  though  in  some  respects  it  darkens  God’s 
gospel,  and  brings  it  down  to  the  level  of  magical  supersti- 
tion, may  yet  be,  and  often  is,  accepted  by  him”  whose  mer- 
ciful eye  recognized  and  whose  condescension  answered 
the  mistaken  view  of  Thomas,  when  he  declared  that  he 
must  thrust  his  hand  into  his  Saviour’s  side  before  he  could 
believe. 

Christ  met  the  unbelief  of  Thomas  with  unexpected 
kindness.  If  the  task  of  restoring  him  had  been  committed 
to  Peter,  James  or  John  they  would  have  doubtless  treated 
him  very  differently.  The  impulsive  apostle  would  probably 
have  advocated  excommunication;  the  radical  James  would 
have  presented  some  course  of  humiliating  penance,  and  the 
ordinarily  mild  John  would  have  called  for  fire  from  heaven 
to  consume  the  doubt  if  not  to  torture  the  one  who  cher- 
ished it.  That  is  the  way  multitudes  of  Thomas’s  succes- 
sors have  been  treated.  In  consequence  of  it  some  of  them 
are  wandering  to. day  in  the  mazes  of  unbelief.  Instead  of 
adopting  Christ’s  mode  of  treatment  in  their  case  church 
authorities  often  shrink  from  them  as  if  they  were  tainted 
with  the  plague,  or  they  coldly  withdraw  from  them  all 
feelings  of  sympathy.  Such  conduct  is  not  only  unwise, 
but  unchristian.  For  the  doubts  of  many,  like  those  of 
Thomas,  arise  from  bodily  infirmities,  misconception  of 
faith,  and  even  from  causes  largely  beyond  their  control. 
To  turn  heartlessly  away  from  such,  or  to  show  less  inter- 
est in  their  welfare  than  formerly  is  sure  to  sour  their 
temper,  if  not  to  drive  them  to  the  verge  of  despair.. 
Their  abandonment  will  be  looked  upon  as  a cruel  persecu- 
tion and  a cruel  persecution  usually  strengthens  men 
in  their  errors.  The  frozen  cloak  of  unbelief  cannot 


1 6 


be  removed  by  the  beating  hailstorm,  or  the  cyclone  of 
passion,  but  by  the  heat  of  a sunny  day  of  love  and  sympathy, 

Christ  assures  the  doubting  apostle  that  faith,  not  sight, 
is  the  principle  by  which  believers  are  required  to  walk; 
“ Because  thou  hast  seen  Me,  thou  hast  believed,  blessed  are 
they  that  have  not  seen  and  yet  have  believed.”  Here  is 
intimated  that  that  state  of  mind  by  which  one  believes  a 
fact  when  he  has  not  seen  it,  is  higher  than  that  incredulity 
which  refuses  to  believe  until  he  has  seen  it.  The  soul  has 
its  own  laws  of  evidence  independent  of  those  furnished  by 
the  senses.  We  are  not  to  set  aside  the  latter  whilst  we 
regain  in  the  body,  but  we  are  not  to  regard  them  as  the 
highest  or  the  noblest  laws  of  our  being.  Nevertheless, 
there  has  been  a strong  tendency  in  every  age  to  lay  greater 
stress  on  sight  than  on  faith.  The  Jews  found  it  well  nigh 
impossible  to  give  up  their  dependence  on  the  outward  rite 
of  circumcision.  Many  of  the  early  Christians  sought  ma- 
terial embodiment  of  spiritual  truths.  With  the  rise  of  the 
hierarchy  the  senses  were  made  the  rounds  of  a ladder  over 
which  Roman  Catholics  were  told  they  could  climb  to  heaven. 
It  must  be  confessed  that  such  outward  helps  are  advantage- 
ous to  those  unaccustomed  to  abstract  reasoning,  but  they 
must  be  used  carefully  and  sparingly,  or  they  will  in  time 
be  substituted  for  the  true  realities.  The  best  and  sim- 
plest of  forms,  even  those  in  vogue  among  the  Quakers, 
are  easily  made  to  encroach  on  faith,  by  overlying  the  truth 
at  its  root.  The  eye  is  in  danger  of  being  betrayed  to  rest 
on  the  colors  of  the  variegated  window,  on  the  richly 
adorned  altar  with  its  mounted  statues,  or  on  the  glitter  of 
the  sacerdotal  vestments,  instead  of  looking  through  the 
stained  glass,  over  the  marble  altar,  and  by  the  embroidered 
mitres,  to  the  things  which  are  not  seen,  but  eternal. 

Even  in  Churches  that  have  but  meagre  forms  thou- 
sands in  these  days  are  hankering  after  sensuous  sights  of 
God.  Their  cry  is  that  of  Thomas,  “ Except  I shall 


i7  • 


see  in  his  hands  the  print  of  the  nails  and  put  my  finger 
into  the  print  of  the  nails  I will  not  believe,”  They  allege 
that  before  God  can  command  their  faith,  He  must  approach 
them  through  some  of  the  channels  that  carry  the  knowl- 
edge of  earthly  things.  They  insist  upon  his  presenting 
himself  within  the  range  of  those  tests  by  which  they 
are  accustomed  to  decide  between  truth  and  semblance, 
realities  and  appearances.  They  feel  that  He  has  not  as 
yet  done  that.  They  cry  we  have  never  heard  His  voice 
nor  felt  the  touch  of  His  hand. 

Christ’s  benediction  upon  those  who  have  not  seen  and 
yet  have  believed,  hushes  forever  the  boast  of  unaided 
reason  in  matters  of  religion.  This  is  not  based  upon  any 
doubtful,  or  novel,  theory  of  mental  or  moral  philosophy; 
but  it  is  in  perfect  keeping  with  the  general  tenor  of  our 
mental  processes.  “ Reason  is  never  so  magnified,”  says 
an  English  writer,  “ as  when  made  the  pedestal  on  which 
faith  stands.  A proposition,  for  example,  is  submitted;  in- 
stantly an  intellectual  operation  is  commenced;  the  judg- 
ment begins  to  balance  conflicting  claims  and  to  determine 
the  credibility  of  opposing  witnesses;  up  to  a given  point, 
the  light  of  the  understanding  shines  brightly  on  the  whole 
process;  at  that  point,  however,  the  materials  on  which  rea- 
son has  been  operating  are  exhausted,  and  yet  reason  itself 
knows  that  something  more  remains,  feels  that  another  step 
should  be  taken,  trembles  consciously  on  the  verge  of  the 
ultimate  truth  of  what  it  has  long  been  in  quest,  and  the  act 
of  passing  from  the  known  to  the  unknown  is  an  act  of 
faith,  an  act  which  has  been  compelled  by  reason,  an  act 
which  expresses  the  final  convictions  of  judgment,  an  act 
in  which  intellect  takes  wing  and  reason  commits  itself  to 
the  most  probable  issues  of  its  own  calculations.” 

Friends  of  the  graduating  class:  I desire,  before 
closing,  to  offer  you  two  or  three  words  of  counsel.  First, 
do  not  from  restlessness,  love  of  novelty  or  a disposition  to 


i8 


quiet  popular  clamor  re-open  hastily  great  questions  that 
are  already  settled.  This  is  one  of  the  faults  of  our  times. 
It  creates  unnecessary  suspicion  and  leads  to  serious  doubts 
where  there  is  no  cause  for  them.  On  account  of  inability 
to  bring  his  disappointed  heart  to  believe  that  his 
buried  Lord  had  been  alive,  Thomas  called  in  question  the 
doctrine  of  the  resurrection.  He  had  been  present  when 
two  or  three  persons  were  raised  from  the  dead,  hence  he 
should  have  accepted  it  without  question.  His  efforts 
ought  to  have  been  directed  to  harmonize  what  seemed 
strange  to  him  in  the  way,  the  time  and  the  circumstances 
of  Christ’s  resurrection.  This  is  the  plan  pursued  by  scien- 
tists when  they  meet  with  facts  that  do  not  appear  to 
agree  with  an  established  law.  When  the  astronomer  dis- 
covers phenomena  which  militate  against  the  great  law  of 
gravitation,  he  does  not  begin  by  reconsidering  the  accepted 
law,  but  by  seeking  to  find  a way  to  account  for  these  phe- 
nomena without  disturbing  it.  When  it  is  found  that  im- 
material forces  give  rise  to  what  has  been  supposed  to  be 
the  products  of  matter,  the  true  philosopher  does  not  con- 
clude that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  matter,  nor  that  all  we 
see  is  the  result  of  force.  When  feathers  are  seen  flying 
towards  the  sun  the  wise  man  does  not  hastily  conclude  that 
the  earth  has  ceased  to  be  a great  magnet  attracting  all  ob- 
jects to  itself,  but  he  inquires  into  the  causes  of  what  seems  to 
be  an  exception  to  the  rule.  Let  me  urge  you  to  deal  in 
like  manner  with  the  Scriptures.  If  the  antiquarian  chances 
to  fall  upon  objects  in  the  tombs  of  Egypt,  or  among  the 
ruins  of  Assyria;  if  the  chemist  comes  across  anomalies  in 
the  laboratory;  if  the  geologist  discovers  unaccountable  relics 
in  the  bowels  of  the  earth;  if  the  astromer  finds  unheard- 
of  worlds  in  the  depths  of  space;  or  if  the  historian  reads 
on  some  faded  parchments  facts  or  figures  that  seem  to  be 
subversive  of  Bible  doctrines,  do  not  conclude  on  these 
slender  data  tha-t  the  inspired  writings  are  false.  Pursue 


J9 


your  investigation,  and  see  if  no  clue  can  be  found  to  a way  of 
reconciling  the  two.  Remember  that  science  is  young  and 
its  most  advanced  students  are  as  yet  only  in  the  primer. 
They  have  only  gathered  a few  facts  here  and  there  and 
put  them  together  in  the  best  way  they  can.  They  are  do- 
ing nobly.  Encourage  them  as  long  as  they  use  their  ener- 
gies in  discovering  truth.  Instead  of  expecting  this  and 
that  fact  of  science  to  contradict  the  teachings  of  Scripture 
act  upon  the  presumption  that  both  have  been  given 
by  God,  hence  they  must  harmonize  however  contradictory 
they  may  at  first  sight  seem.  And  thus  far  they  have  been 
found  to  do  so.  Notwithstanding  the  allegations  to  the  con- 
trary, no  discoveries  of  bones  imbedded  in  the  earth,  of 
footprints  found  in  the  geological  strata,  or  of  musty  manu- 
scripts dug  out  of  ancient  convents,  have  as  yet  unsettled 
the  foundations  of  God’s  revealed  will.  Amidst  all  the 
noise  and  clatter  of  instruments  working  to-day  at  the 
foundations  of  temples  and  cities,  “The  Word  of  the  Lord 
standeth  sure.” 

I counsel  you  secondly,  to  seek  a sure  foundation  for 
your  present  happiness  and  your  joy.  The  things  which 
are  seen  are  temporal.  They  do  not,  therefore,  form 
a fit  foundation  for  the  hopes  of  an  immortal  being.  “ If 
you  build  upon  gold,  silver,  precious  stones,  wood,  hay, 
stubble,  your  work  will  be  made  manifest  for  the  day  shall 
declare  it,  because  it  shall  be  revealed  by  fire  ; and  the  fire 
shall  try  every  man’s  work  of  what  sort  it  is.”  When  you 
have  discovered  the  true  foundation  see  to  it  that  the  super- 
structure is  carefully  and  wisely  reared  thereon.  This 
superstructure  must  be  a noble  character  shaped  after  the 
heavenly  model.  Its  formation  will  demand  the  con- 
centration of  all  yoyr  powers  of  soul  and  body.  Spas- 
modic efforts,  working  by  jerks  and  starts,  running  well  for 
a time,  will  not  answer.  You  must  save  every  grain  of 
time,  seize  all  the  opportunities  placed  within  your  reach, 


20 


and  keep  in  working  order  every  power  of  your  being. 
Ther highest  gifts,  if  allowed  to  lie  dormant,  accomplish 
nothing,  they  may  even  grow  weak  and  worthless  by  dis- 
use, but  when  they  are  concentrated  and  wisely  applied, 
they  may  turn  the  world  upside  down.  It  is  not  necessary 
that  one  should  occupy  conspicuous  places  in  order  to  make 
his  life  sublime.  The  wild  flowers  that  abound  in  our 
ravines  are  as  delicate  and  fragrant  as  those  which  adorn 
our  most  sumptuous  dwellings.  The  heavenly  bodies  most 
admired  by  astronomers  are  not  Venus  with  all  her  delicate 
beauty,  nor  Jupiter  with  his  conceded  grandeur,  but  those 
modest  planets  which  are  seen  only  when  searched  for  by 
the  telescope,  or  those  far  off  stars  the  radiance  of  which 
has  but  lately  appeared,  because  they  are  so  high  in  the 
remoteness  of  their  sphere  from  vulgar  gaze. 

“ For  were  the  distance  riven, 

Our  eyes  might  find  that  star  which  faintly  shone 
Because  it  journeyed  through  a higher  zone, 

Had  more  majestic  sway  and  duties  given 
Far  loftier  station  on  the  heights  of  heaven, 

Was  next  to  God,  and  circled  round  his  throne.” 

I counsel  you,  in  conclusion,  to  have  your  soul  per- 
meated with  the  spirit  of  the  Great  Teacher.  The  noblest 
of  all  lives  is  that  which  is  brought  into  strict  conformity  to 
his  blessed  image.  Keep  him  always  before  you  as  your 
model.  Do  not  study  even  the  best  copies  of  Jiim,  but  the 
original  only.  Drink  of  his  spirit,  walk  as  he  walked  and 
imitate  his  perfect  example.  Follow  him  to  the  mount 
that  you  may  catch  the  full  meaning  of  his  matchless  sermon; 
sit  with  him  at  the  festal  board  that  you  may  be  quickened 
by  his  table  talk;  walk  with  him  through  the  fields  and 
valleys  of  Palestine  that  you  may  learn  how  to  live;  and 
accompany  him  to  the  cross  that  you  may  know  how  to  die. 


